Observations, censures, and confutations of notorious errours in Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan and other his bookes to which are annexed occasionall anim-adversions on some writings of the Socinians and such hæreticks of the same opinion with him / by William Lucy ...

Sect. 5.

That is, there is a difference betwixt an occasion of a Religion,* 1.1 and the foundation of it, the occasion may be this Faith he speaks of, but the foundation is the Reve∣lation of the will of God, that he will be so worshiped, as thus; Suppose Seth, or Noah, a man in whom they have such a Faith, that is, an opinion of his wisdome or kind∣ness to them, his esteeme with God; suppose such a man should direct such or such a Duty; they listen to it for the estimation they have of his ability;* 1.2 afterward, upon experience, or examination, they find it congru∣ent to the will of God; then they practice it accordingly with confidence: But if it be received barely upon the credulity of such a person, and found incongruous to the will of God, afterwards it will be rejected; which shewes that, not the faith, in the man, is the foundation of this forme of Religion, but the Congruence it hath with the will of God. And this is the foundation of all Religion, the Revelation of Gods will to be pleased with such ser∣vice. As it happens in a foundation, that Rock, upon which a Castle is built, is the foundation, and the sole foundation, there may perhaps be other things necessary, to dig the earth before we come to the Rock, or else to remove the rubbidge, which may hinder the setling the

house upon it, but onely the Rock is the foundation; so it may be, that such a man, of whom he speakes, may be useful to the building of Religion, to the manifestation of this Rock, to the removing many impediments, which would hinder men from setling themselves and their Faith, upon it; but only that is the Rock. There is one clause in this Conclusion which may amuse the Reader, that is, that the person, on whom they beleeve, they be∣leeve to be such [to whom God himself vouchsafeth to de∣clare his will supernaturally.] Now it is true, this for the most part is necessary to the plantation of Religion,* 1.3 as I said, to remove the Obstacles, that this direction, which I receive, is not the word of God, or not pleasing to him, and the like; but the foundation is, that God re∣veales this to be his will. Suppose Seth preached the duties of Religion, we have this faith, or opinion of Seth (for divine Faith it is not, unlesse God declare Seth is such) we may have some weak beleefe that this is the will of God, because honest Seth, to whom God, as we ap∣prehend, makes many revelations, delivers it for such to us; but we beleeve the duty because God requires it, and upon that we build our Religion, the other is remo∣ving the rubbige. Or thus, an Act of Parlament is made, we submit to the Authority, are confident of our security accordingly; yet I, who was not at the making of that Act, know onely that that, which I reade in the Book, was an Act of Parliament, by the Printer that printed it, and that such an Act is tolerated by the Magistrate to passe for an Act. Now the foundation of the safety of my practice is the Act of Parliament, not the Printer, these are assistants to let me know this is an Act of Par∣liament, not the foundation; so it is with this case in hand, honest Seth is like the Printer, he delivers it so to me

for the will of God, I ought, in discretion, to beleeve it such; but I build my practise, and found it upon this reason, because it is the will of God. Many may be the Arguments which induce a perswasion that this is the will of God, but because this is the will of God, is the sole foundation of my Religion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The difference betwixt the occasion and foundation of a Religion.
• * 1.2

  Which pre∣vai••eth accor∣ding to the congruity it hath to the will of God.
• * 1.3

  Whatsoever mens opinion be of the Per∣son that intro∣duceth it.